The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1887-07-29
A SPOOL or THREAD.
What Cotton has To go Through be
fore il - Ready for the Needle

Few people ever stop to think Of the
twistings and turningS and the various
processes that cotton fibre goes through
after IL is taken from the pod before II is
wound upon a spool and ready for the
housewives S needle. The whole story Is
told, however, in a small space IN one OF
the cases in the hall in the National Mu-
scum, given up to an exhibition of textile
fabrics. This is one OF the many object
lessons In the museum, which combined
are intended 10 tell tho story of man as
he exists ON the earth
First is shown 4 specimen of cotton in
the pod just rs it is picked, without hav-
ing the seeds removed Next Is shown
specimen of the same cotton after II has
been ginned and the black seeds have
been removed The Sea Island cotton Is
used for thread on account of the length
of the fibre. 4 sample of the sackIng IN
which the cotton Is baled Is also shown.
Then the cotton Is supposed 10 have been
balcd and shipped u the thread factory.
Here the first thing that Is done with the
cotton Is 10 subject II 10 the picker
process by which the cotton from several
bales is mixed to secure uniformity.
During the picker process much waste,
in the form of dust, dirt and short hbres,
by the picker. Next the picked" cotton
Is wound ON a machine, IN sheets or laps,
into a roll.
The next process illustrated by pract-
iCal exhibit Is the c.rding, by which the
sheets OF cotton are cOmbcd or run out
into long parallel tibrcs. The cotton Is
next seen drawn through trumpet
shaped opening which conden-es IL INTO
a single strand of silver" Then eight
such silvcrs are run together into one,
six OF the strands thus produced are
drawn into one, and again six of the
strands from the last drawing are COM
bined into one. Then comes the Stub
bing or fast rowing process, which con
sists OF winding the strand and bObbin.
Two strands are twisted and again wound
on 4 bobbIn.
After number of other twistings and
winnings, during which the strand is
gradually reduced IN size until 1t begins
TO assume thrcadlike appearance, two
strands of this fine rowing are run to-
gether and twisted, under considerable
tension, on a bObbn that makes 700 rev.
olutionS minute. Two of the cords thus
produced are then wound together on a
spool, and then twisted from that To an
other spool. The twO-cOrd thread thus
produced Is transferred thence to another
spool, and then three threads of two
cords each are twisted together, forming
siX-cOrd thread.
One who has followed the process sees
the cotton gradually transformed from a
wide band or sheet OF loose cotton To Il
compact thread that will pass through
the eve OF IL needle The six-cord thread
is NJ last taken from bobfin and reeled
into a skeiu, in which form it Is blcached
or dyed. Then it is wound back from
the skcin upon ig spool, from which it
Il supplied TO little white birch spools,
upon which IL is wound in regular
COURSES, and Is then ready for market.
The machine that regulates the last wind
ing measures the number of wards wound
on each spool. The spools are made of
various sizes, to hold from POO TO 1900
yards OF thread. The labels that decorate
the ends OF the spools when they are sold
are last put on. They are cut and pasted
on by machinery with great rapidity.
Washington Star.